Catnip

WHERE’S THE LOOT?

As we’ve been catching up with our bloggy friends, we have seen oodles of loot from BlogPaws being unpacked. If you recall, when I had my birthday on the 20th, I was promised my choice of any of the BP swag. Lily’s the queen of luggage, so I sent her to inspect Mom’s suitcase. She found absolutely nothing. Check out the expression on her face. That is not a happy kitty.

What we didn’t know was that Mom had already removed the few toys she brought home. She’d hidden them in a drawer until I could check them out first. Guess I am appreciative of that.

Can you believe this is all she brought me? I can’t imagine she expects me to select one thing. All this should be mine.

Mom and I played with the wand toy. She was trying to take photos while we were playing so this is blurry. Sorry. The minute she set it down, Fiona picked up the red fuzzy end and took my wand downstairs. I am certain she’s hidden it by now, and I’ll never see it again.

Then Lily Olivia came along and grabbed the kicker.

The ModKicker was actually made in Phoenix, the site of the BlogPaws Conference. It’s a Hauspanther product (available at shop.hauspanther.com for $6) and has catnip. They must grow some potent nip in Arizona ’cause after a few minutes, Lily crashed hard. When I tried to retrieve it, Lily woke up long enough to kick me in the butt. Totally rude!

I guess that’s all there is…at least until next Tuesday when the real loot arrives. Mom says I will be getting a super cool gift that she swears I will love. She claims it is purrfect for a princess. We’ll see!

Okay, don’t get me wrong: I am totally thankful for these cool things, but there are eight of us and only four toys. So…I’ve just got to say one more time to annoy Mom, “Where’s the loot?” MOL…

Purrs and paw-pats, Calista Jo

KITTIES, GUARD YOUR NIP!

Do your catnip plants look like this?

Or do they look like this?

If your nip looks like the sad little plant above, you may have a nip-addicted cat at your house. Or you may have a human nip thief. This is a most serious situation. Why in the world would your humans be pilfering your nip? Did you know that catnip has uses other than turning you into a crazypants?

One of those uses can come in very handy this time of year. With summer just around the corner, insects will be on the increase, especially those dastardly mosquitos. Those little blood-sucking creatures have been in the news more than usual lately. Humans are talking and worrying about the mosquitos that spread the Zika virus finding their way into the U.S.

But what in the heck does that have to do with your beloved catnip?

Here’s a little history: Humans have a long tradition of planting catnip near a house or barn to repel mice and rats and to keep insects away. Research has shown that cockroaches and termites are repelled by catnip. And nip has been used where cats sleep to help keep fleas away.

Napeta cataria (catnip) has been shown to be 96 percent effective as a repellent of flies and mosquitos. The U.S. National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has reported that tests have found nip to be as effective as DEET. And recent research done at Iowa State Univerty showed catnip is ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET.

So what is this DEET stuff?

N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, also called DEET (/diːt/) or diethyltoluamide, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents. It is a slightly yellow oil intended to be applied to the skin or clothing. It provides protection against mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, chiggers, leeches and many biting insects. However, a 2013 study suggests that mosquitoes can at least temporarily overcome or adapt to the repellent effect of DEET after an initial exposure.

A little stealth on your part should help you keep an eye on both your humans and your plants. If you see your humans ravaging your nip, they may be planning on making their own mosquito repellent by boiling the stems, flowers and leaves in a pot of water. They will allow the water and plant mixture to steep until cool. The nip water will be put in a spray bottle and applied as needed.

If you don’t catch your humans in the act of thievery, you can test them to see if they have been pilfering your plants. Give them a sniff to see if they smell like your favorite plant. If so, you might want to encourage them to remove all standing water from your property and add some mosquito-repelling plants to your yard, such as marigolds, bee balm, citronella, lavender and lemongrass.

Good luck on preserving your catnip for your own personal use. If necessary, you can always hold it for ransom. It should be worth several thousand treats at least.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo aka Nipheads

June 16, 2016 by Janet Blue Nipheads 23

CARDWOOD DERBY TIME AT CAT SCOUTS

Second Cat Scouts’ Cardwood Derby

Mau has entered the second, sort-of-annual Cat Scouts‘ Cardwood Derby, and he needs your votes to win this super cool trophy. It would have his name and not Scout Banzai should he win.

As Mauricio is Director of Campus Security at Cat Scouts University he thought it would be nice to have an official campus vehicle. Here are a few photos of Mau, his car and his pit crew. We’ll tell you how to vote at the end of this post.

The back of Mau’s official CSU Security vehicle.
(c) The Cat on My Head 2016

Lisbeth served on Mau’s pit crew for the second time.
(c) The Cat on My Head 2016

Mau’s pit crew, Calista Jo and Lisbeth, were stoned on catnip and acting like hooligans. (The arrows point to the nip.)
(c) The Cat on My Head 2016

Mau jumping from his vehicle to apprehend his hooligan sisters.
(c) The Cat on My Head 2016

Mau with pit crew, Lisbeth, in his first cardwood derby entry.
(c) The Cat on My Head 20

I am pretty happy with my improved design and construction skills in comparison to Mau’s last derby car. If you weren’t following us then, here’s a photo. It was more elaborate, but the craftsmanship was definitely lacking.

Though Mau’s car is better constructed this year, I fear he has no chance of taking home that trophy. The competition is really tough. Scouts were able to create any type of vehicle they wanted, and some are more imaginative than his. There’s a hot air balloon, a food truck and a stagecoach to name a few of the unique entries.

If you would like to vote for Mauricio, you can do so on the Cat Scouts Organization page on Facebook. He has two photos. Scroll down until you find them and then “LIKE” them. You have through January 22 to cast your vote. While you are there check out all the entries. They really are creative.

Mau says, “Please drive safely and never while stoned on catnip!”

January 18, 2016 by Janet Blue Cardwood Derby Cat Scouts Nipheads 19

GIVING THANKS 2015

We wanted to tell you about the things for which we and our humans are giving thanks today.

We asked Mom first. This was here reply.

Marrying Dad 42 years ago.
Us and the kitties that came before.
All her friends, especially those she’s made blogging.

Dad was next to give us his list of thanks.

A loving wife and eight loving kitties.
A comfortable life.
The opportunity to serve others.

Then it was our turn.

Mau is thankful for Allie and Cat Scouts. Lisbeth is thankful for Charles. Astrid is thankful for Sampy.
Chris as she always brings us treats and nip and bonito flakes.
A home with a mom and dad who cater to all our needs and love us unconditionally.

This is Lily Olivia, Lisbeth and Astrid enjoying the latest catnip bounty from Chris. If you look closely, you’ll see it in their furs. Lily snorphled so much nip that she slept the remainder of the day!

As we give thanks for these things and so many others, we pray that all those kitties awaiting homes will soon be enjoying warmth, comfort and love in a forever home.

Sending you all our best wishes for a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

Our Giveaway for Catify to Satisfy

Last Friday Mom posted Part 2 of her interview with cat behaviorist and Animal Planet star, Jackson Galaxy. She also reviewed his and Kate Benjamin’s new book, Catify to Satisfy. If you would like to have the opportunity to win a copy of this must have book, leave a comment here by 5 p.m. EST tomorrow. The winner will be selected using Random.org.

Check back tomorrow for Part 3 of the interview and updates on the Jackson Galaxy Foundation.

Purrs & paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

November 26, 2015 by Janet Blue Giveaway Holiday Kitty Written Blog Nipheads Thankful Thursday Thanksgiving 36

TOMORROW’S THE BIG DAY FOR CATIFY TO SATISFY

Catify to Satisfy

Oh boy, tomorrow Mom will post Part Two of her interview with cat behaviorist and Animal Planet star, Jackson Galaxy. If you missed Part One, which was about the Jackson Galaxy Foundation, you can see it here. Part Two will be about Galaxy and Kate Benjamin’s new book, Catify to Satisfy, the follow-up to their bestseller, Catification. Tomorrow’s post also will include a review of the new book.

We’ll let you know right now, the new book is terrific. We sure hope you pre-ordered yours, but if you didn’t, it is now available at Amazon.com. The Kindle version is $9.99 and the paperback book is $13.16.

Tomorrow’s post also will include the dates and locations for the Catify to Satisfy Book Tour.

Stark Raving Cat

You only have a until 5 p.m. EST today to enter our current giveaway. Kitties Blue is giving away one limited edition Santa’s Rocking Stocking Catnip Joints. It is designed for hanging on the Christmas tree or mantle. A red-and-white pair of catnip joints (topped with tiny Santa hats) peeks out from a traditional red stocking. From the ribbon on the front hangs a silver-tone cat-and-mouse charm. It’s perfect to add to your cat’s collar, a key chain or a necklace to wear as a pendant.

You can read our review here and leave a comment for the chance to win.

Purrs and paw-pants, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

(Credits: Photos of Jackson Galaxy: Jeff Newton. Excerpted from CATIFY TO SATISFY: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home by Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin with the permission of Tarcher/Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin 2015.)

November 19, 2015 by Janet Blue Book Review Giveaway Interview Kitty Written Blog Product Review 9

STARK RAVING CAT CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

Nippy Goodness Can Be Yours!

Today we got to sample a holiday product from the new company, Stark Raving Cat. We received their Santa’s Rocking Stocking Catnip Joints. Mom teased us for a while before she opened the brown paper bag packaging. We could smell the nip right through the package. As you can see in one of Lisbeth’s photos, she was not to happy with mom for making her wait. (Raspberry!)

This limited edition stocking is designed for hanging on the Christmas tree or mantle. A red-and-white pair of catnip joints (topped with tiny Santa hats) peeks out from a traditional red stocking. From the ribbon on the front hangs a silver-tone cat-and-mouse charm. It’s perfect to add to your cat’s collar, a key chain or a necklace to wear it as a pendant.

It is evident from our photos that we liked this product. The nip is so potent it permeated the stocking and it’s hang tag. Mauricio wouldn’t let go of these items or stop licking the tag. Lily Olivia liked the easy-to-hold joints the best. We think this would be a great gift for all nip-loving kitties. Stark Raving Cat’s Santa’s Rocking Stocking Catnip Joints also would be a great present if you are participating in the Santa Kitty Toy Hop or Secret Paws.

About Stark Raving Cat

StarkRavingCat.com, located in Texas, specializes in small batch, artisanal gifts for cats and cat-lovers. According to company owner Kate Heyhoe “Our products are not mass produced, each is designed in-house, and made by hand with love and care, so you can pretty much guarantee your gift will stand out, and put the ho-ho-ho in the holidays.” And all products are cat tested and approved in house by Tamale, Pookie and Wolfie.

Stark Raving Cat has a huge variety of unique products, including one our mom is putting on her Christmas Wish List: Maneki Neko earrings and kitty collar with a Maneki Neko bell. She collects these lucky cats so cannot resist this product. We are wondering which of us will get the new collar.

Kitties Blue are giving away one Santa’s Rocking Stocking Catnip Joints. To enter just leave a comment on this post prior to Thursday, November 19, at 5 p.m. EDT. We will ship worldwide. If you don’t win, you can order your own Santa’s Rocking Stocking from Stark Raving Cat for $15.

Disclaimer: The Cat on My Head received two Santa Stockings from Stark Raving Cat for the purpose of review and giveaway. We were not compensated monetarily for this post and the opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Two Days Remain to Enter Our Other Giveaway

We are giving away two copies of the book, Women Who Still Love Cats Too Much, by Allia Zobel Nolan. It is 80-pages of fun and oh-so-true one-liners with colorful illustrations by Nicole Hollander. I guarantee if you’ve ever had a relationship with a cat, you will recognize yourself in this book and LOL as you do so. For an opportunity to win, click here to read Mom’s review and leave a comment. The giveaway is open to readers worldwide. Comments must be left by Friday, November 13, at 5 p.m. EDT.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

November 12, 2015 by Janet Blue Christmas Giveaway Holiday Kitty Written Blog Nipheads Product Review Thankful Thursday 45

CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS CALLED

A few days ago we received a package of goodies we’d won from Phoebe, Mom Ellen and the crew at 15AndMeowing. Mom opened it and checked out all the contents. Then she put everything back into the package and said we could have the items as soon as she could set up for some photos. All we can say now is, “What was she thinking?”

The following morning when the humans came downstairs to fix our breakfast they discovered this:

Scene of the Crime

Criminal or Opportunist?

The Real Perpetrators

That’s right! The flat Cat Scouts visiting us left their paw prints all over the crime scene. This gang of hooligans’ leader is none other than the one looking sideways in the right back. That’s Einstein The Mastermind from Tomcat Commentary by Tim. The other members of the gang include his brother Timmy (back left), Ali from Musings of a Senior Kitty (in front of Timmy) and Einstein’s main squeeze, Shoko from The Canadian Cats.

It’s totally our mom’s fault that this happened. Einstein does have a taste for the nip and is known to have a problem with impulse control. We say our Mom set him up by leaving that open package on the kitchen counter so that the aroma of nip could waft throughout the house.

As the perpetrators of the crime are all visitors to our house, they will not be reprimanded nor receive any punishment. That will be at the discretion of their humans when they return to their respective homes.

This case is now closed. And Kitties Blue thank our visitors for liberating our prezzies.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

p.s. Mom is praying that flat Mauricio is on his best behavior while visiting his friends. He’s not all that well-behaved at home so she’s worried about what he might get up to when away. She’s hoping that his recent appointment as Chief of Security at Cat Scout University will convince him that he needs to set a good example for all Scouts.

October 27, 2015 by Janet Blue Cat Scouts Kitty Written Blog Nipheads 25

NIPHEADS ANONYMOUS

We are nipheads, and we can’t deny it.

Don’t criticize us if you’ve never tried it.

It’s good to roll in and sweet to eat.

Nip is by far our favorite treat.

If we are being completely honest,

Maybe we should join Nipheads Anonymous.

No, on second thought, definitely not.

Give us nip and make it a lot.

We are nipheads and darn proud of it!

Whenever Chris comes to the house, whether to clean or look after us when the humans go away, she brings us goodies. It may be treats, catnip, bonito flakes or any combination of the three. Today we got fresh and ground nip and treats. Jackpot!

This is what we did in the morning. Astrid demonstrates what we did during the afternoon. Mom says she was really out of it. She was sleeping on a big pile of toys and let Chris vacuum and clean all around her. She didn’t even blink. Astrid only changed positions after Mom started taking photos. But she never woke up. Good nip!

We love nip, and we love Chris. We wish she would come everyday.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

September 29, 2015 by Janet Blue Backstory Kitty Written Blog Nipheads Poetry Tortie Tuesday Tuxie Tuesday 24

THE LAST BIRTHDAY GIFT FINALLY ARRIVES

Mom ordered us (Lisbeth and Astrid) a birthday gift that was supposed to arrive here on August 25. We waited and waited all day by the front door, but it never arrived that day or the next or even the next! Mom kept checking on-line for us to see what was happening. Finally she found that it had been shipped many days after originally scheduled.

She ordered our gift from Wayfair. The cost was slightly more than Amazon, but the shipping was free. Amazon Prime was not available. That’s the first time she used Wayfair. She is not giving them a top rating due to lack of communication and not shipping when promised.

So are you curious to know what we got? Though new, it’s not something we didn’t previously have. In fact, you can see the original in the collage below along with the replacement.

Clockwise from upper left: Lisbeth guarding tree box waiting for it to be opened; new tree/condo after being assembled; old tree at the curb; Lisbeth bunny-kicking the perch; Lisbeth lounging in the condo section; Lisbeth relaxing.

Yep, we got a new cat tree/condo to replace the one from the catio. We’d had it a very long time. It had gotten wet more than a few times and then the resident, night-maurading raccoon got his teeth and claws into it. It was “toast” after that!

This new tree is identical to the old one as Mom knew how much we loved that one, and she was always impressed by its sturdiness.

After she and Dad put it together, Mom covered the shelves in that primo Kitty Kush ground catnip. It didn’t take but a nanosecond for several of us to investigate. In all fairness to us birthday girls, we are only sharing photos of Lisbeth. Astrid has yet to discover the new cat furniture as she didn’t go on the catio yesterday.

We’d all been missing the old tree/condo since it went to the curb a few weeks ago, so we give Mom 32 paws up for replacing it. Once again we must say, “Best birthday ever!” We are wondering what gift the humans are going to get to top this when Mauricio and Misty May turn 11 in a few weeks. They will try to top themselves, won’t they?

Purrs and paw-pats, Lisbeth and Astrid

September 4, 2015 by Janet Blue Birthday Kitty Written Blog 31

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: MINE ALL MINE

June 17, 2015 by Janet Blue Wordless Wednesday 29

YOU
For Fiona

It seems like only yesterday…
You were just a kitten.
When I saw your pleading look,
I was completely smitten.

Now at only six years old,
You are getting ready to leave,
Soon you will have your wings.
I’ve already started to grieve.

You’ve fought hard for the past year,
And I’m not ready to say good-bye.
I can’t imagine you not in my life
I am so sad…today I had to cry.

I am grateful and blessed
For my six years with you.
You’ll live in my heart forever.
You’re one of the best ever Kitties Blue.

YESTERDAY

Many yesterdays have passed since
You gained your angel wings. Today
Is six months since you left us behind
To remember and mourn. Our hearts
Continue to hurt, and we miss
You as much as the day you left.
Giulietta whined from the catio
Yesterday as I worked in the yard.
I know you put her up to it. That
Was your way of getting me to,
Allow you to join me as I
Gardened. You were there with me
In spirit. With every meow
I thought of you and how much I miss
Your sweet face and disposition.
In these past few months, many friends
Have traveled your same path in your
paw-steps. I am certain you were
Waiting to greet them with purrs and hugs.
I pray you and your friends are laughing,
Frolicking and having fun together.
Picturing that makes me smile, but
Does not lessen my sadness at your
No longer being here to snuggle
And receive our love, care and kisses.
Fiona, please do not ever forget
You are still and always will be loved.

ONE YEAR MISSING YOU

One year has passed since you flew away,
And I still think of you everyday.
I see your sweet face in my mind’s eye
And wish we’d never had to say good-bye.
It’s nice you’ve sent us kitties needing a family,
But my dearest love, we are now at capacity.
You thought it would take more than one cat
To take your place in our habitat.
We love Cooper Murphy and baby Sawyer dearly
But thinking either could replace you makes me teary.
You were one-of-a-kind and will stay in my heart
Until the day I join you and we’re no longer apart.
When once again I can hold you in my arms
And revel in all your love and feline charms.
Together with you and all who have passed.
I will spend eternity contemplating how blessed
I was to share my life with my furry children,
Each and every one of you one-in-a billion.

UNTIL

I miss you each day.
Until we meet in heaven,
The pain will remain.

ONE OF A KIND

I don’t know how to say good-bye.
I thought you were invincible; though,
You used up many of your nine lives.
You ruled us all with an iron paw;
Never took “no” for an answer
And always got your way.
If not, you’d bark to signal your
Displeasure and sometimes raise a paw.
I always joked that you were bi-polar.
When I told people you were a calico
They immediately understood what I meant.
Today was unnaturally quiet in the house.
Can a home seem empty with eight cats?
I will miss waking up at night to find you
Sitting next to me and staring at me.
I will miss you yelling at us as you did
When you wanted breakfast and dinner.
I will miss watching you lounging and snoozing
On the porch settee on a warm afternoon.
But most of all I will miss your kisses!
When kitten Sawyer befriended you,
We suspect you were imparting your
Wisdom and secrets for controlling us.
Time will tell if he was a good listener.
But whatever he may have learned,
Neither Sawyer nor any other cat
Can or will replace you in our hearts.
Lily Olivia, you were one-of-a-kind.